Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond came into the NBA willing to do all the dirty work -- rebound, defend and chase loose balls, like in this recent game against the Utah Jazz -- and has played himself into the hearts of fans.AP Photo

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Andre Drummond remains keenly aware of the outcry for him to start alongside Greg Monroe. So as the season has evolved, how has the Detroit Pistons rookie's approach to coming off the bench evolved with it?

Not much, though he certainly is more comfortable with the idea of being stretched out for longer playing stints than earlier this season.

Drummond emphasized again Saturday after practice at the University of Miami, before the Pistons traveled here for a game tonight against the Orlando Magic, that he is satisfied with how head coach Lawrence Frank uses him.

"There comes a time," Drummond said. "He knew I wasn't ready to play 20-plus minutes when I was first coming up. So he gradually threw me into the game and knew how to get the best out of me and get 100 percent out of me.

"I trust Lawrence. He knows what he's doing to get the best out of me."

As to whether he could play another five to seven minutes a game if asked, beyond the 20 he averages now, the 19-year-old was just as blunt.

"Without a doubt," he said.

As the second half of the season began last week, the major looming question about the Pistons is when their dynamic No. 9 pick in the 2012 draft will become the starting center, with Monroe shifting to power forward.

Drummond and Monroe played together for about 11 minutes in Friday's loss to the Miami Heat, their longest period sharing the floor in a single game this season.

There were times, particularly in the first half, with Monroe dominating the interior against Heat power forward Shane Battier, when the promise of the combination rang clear.

There also were a couple of occasions that same quarter when Monroe's difficulty guarding quicker players away from the basket was equally obvious. Battier took him off the dribble from the corner in one such instance. Moments later, the same thing happened but Drummond was there to swat away the shot attempt when Battier drove too deep.

"I told him (Monroe) the first time I saw him guarding Battier, 'If he beats you, I'm going to be right there,' " Drummond said. "The next time, I pushed him out there to guard the 3 and he (Battier) blew by him and I came up to get the block."

Miami made the anticipated adjustment in the second half and put Chris Bosh on Monroe, with Battier guarding the less-skilled offensive player Drummond.

That, Frank said, is where he has to balance the gains in rebounding and rim protection with Drummond alongside Monroe against the downside on the offensive end when quicker power forwards inhibit Drummond's ability to get lob dunks off the screen-and-roll, which happened against the Heat, effectively leaving the Pistons short-handed in offensive threats.

"If those things aren't outweighing the other stuff, that's where the game of chicken comes in," Frank said.

Some of those concerns could be alleviated as Drummond makes strides offensively.

"Down the line, big picture, you'd like to be able to throw it to either guy and say, 'Hey, man, you've got a small on you,' " Frank said.

That will take Drummond time, just as it will take Monroe time to adjust to the new defensive demands.

Regardless, the time to force the issue clearly is coming, and Frank has said on a couple of occasions recently that all combinations will be used this season. That presumably includes shoehorning Monroe into a new position.

"He's going to have to become an all-around player sooner or later," Drummond said, "so it's better that he does it now."